The Allies were victorious in Africa. Hitler’s Afrika Corps surrendered in Tunisia, and talk turned to what would be the next step. Some wanted an invasion of Europe across the English Channel to liberate France, but the logistics involved were certain to delay such an operation until well past 1943. A more immediate step was needed to take the pressure off Russia in the eastern front. The Allies settled for an invasion of Italy, which Winston Churchill called Europe’s “soft underbelly”.

On this day, September 3, in 1943  British and Canadian Commonwealth troops made their landing in the Calabria region — Italy’s “toe”, far from the capital of Rome or any vital centers. From there, the Allies started marching up the boot.

It took less than a week before Italy offered the Allies an official surrender, but in practice that meant nothing, as the bulk of the resistance came from German units taking over key defensive positions. Only by June of 1944 did the British enter Rome, and there was still a lot Northern Italy left.